Ok so what makes you so sure that god does not exist?

I can tell you have a really big, really caring heart. Also, please know that no one should have to carry around such a big burden all by themselves. Thankfully God is working with you and God bless!

You are a good person for caring so much and that inspires us all...Thank you :)

Even those who are sometimes skeptical of God's existence...they read posts like this and can tell that there is nothing but pure love in your heart, and it reconnects them to the unconditional love of Jesus--its very refreshing!

I'm not sure, and while I've personally experienced some stuff that is difficult to explain as probable, the improbability of any one thing, does not necessitate the suspicion that there must be some agent or God at work, to the extreme of asserting that they in fact DO exist.

This however is one of those damned if you do , damned if you don't kind of situations.

Consider that were some entity claiming to be God to in fact land in Jerusalem tomorrow, setup shop and insist that a new Temple be built for him to abide with us, perform miracles, and recite holy scripture without fail, that is STILL doesn't constitute proof, since there is no guarantee that it isn't some otherwise super-powerful space-faring being that heard our broadcasts, absconded with some religious texts, and is taking advantage of the circumstance of our religious beliefs and history.

We would only know "something" was wrong, if yet another space-faring , superpowerful race showed up to prove god #1, wrong or false.

So yes, it's a VERY comforting concept, but even without such a hyperbolic example, religious belief is very commonly abused by people perfectly willing to deceive and do bad things, on account of faith.

On the other hand, I'm kind of reminded of this gem from Futurama.

http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=1zo9f0p&s=5

Because, I think with a mind and not a blood pump. Because, I read what Christians write and what they preach. And the Christian concept of God is not the only one and their concept of a hell is a blasphemy to any God worth serving out of love or to a God who is merciful, compassionate, awesome, glorious, and better than the worst of humans. And because changing your life or your behavior is not a proof of the existence of God and it is not a sign of goodness, if it took either promise of reward or threat of punishment to change you. Those are the tools of the propagandists and brainwashers, and those deep, sincerely based beliefs so often crumble when tested under trial and fire, because the beliefs aren't based on a firm foundation or what is real. If your faith is tested by the Grand Canyon, by the study of life and living processes, dirt and rocks, stars, etc., which are all creations of God, then your faith is weak, unreal, ungodly. If what people wrote 2000 years ago, not even in detail but as setting, is more truth to you than what some write today than what good is revelation. God is dead to you and no longer speaks truth, but only wants to make you feel good?

Most days I doubt it, if I were to use the bible as a moral compass it seems that more bad\evil exists than goodness. In those moments the bible is more like a fairytell and god like santa claus. But then, when I'm at the bottom of my rope and then I pray and I am comforted and rescued I begin to believe again. My struggle with the God belief.

The answer to god's existence is unimportant.

How tragically condescending you are! You don't want me to go to hell because you are completely certain it is your god's plan to do that because of my lack of faith.

I don't believe in your god because there is no positive or beneficial outcome from such belief. Just like throwing rocks across a pond, it doesn't produce anything other than some personal amusement.

I am what I am and what I am needs no excuses!

What would convince me that any god truly exists? I am certainly open to any tangible evidence. What evidence would convince you that your god does not exist? Do you see the conundrum?

Bible passages are not evidence of any god's existence to me. However, if proof were proffered that convinced me some god exists, I would change absolutely nothing in my life or my behavior.

What if evidence convinced you that your god does not exist with certainty (evidence according to your standards of proof)? What would you change in your life?

- Would you stop evangelizing?

- Would you start sinning more?

- Would you run amok?

- Would you stop helping those less fortunate than you?

- Would you feel that life is meaningless?

- Would you lose your Raison d'être?

Atheists have real moral values perform mitzvahs and selfless acts not for the sake of salvation, but because moral codes, performing good deeds and helping those in need is the right thing to do. I do not expect nor desire any reward.

Many (not all!) people choose Christianity for the reward of salvation or to avoid the punishment of hell. A true Christian would accept Christ without regard to salvation, would not crow about being saved, would not condemn others, and would even take that John 3:16 oath of allegiance knowing that their god might hypothetically give them nothing in return. If you do it for the reward, you put yourself first and really don’t care about others at all. How very charitable of you!

Who said I was 100% sure? Thats a huge assumtion, being 100% sure on either side of the agrument.

Here's why i'm NOT SURE if there is a god:

"I see no evidence that proves or disproves a single god of any religion, but that does not mean I'm going to default to belief

I guess the reason I don't see why any one religion is true is because of the fact that there have been 1000s of religions over the years and all of them have been thought to be the absolute truth when they were most popular.

I don't think any scientific theories about the origin of the universe are any more provable than what any religion says about the creation of the universe. It's all about perspective.

Say a Christian is walking along a beach. He sees rocks from the ocean floor on top of a cliff. To him it's evidence of the great flood that the bible tells of. An atheist may see the same rock and see it as evidence that the ocean used to reach the top of the cliff, but eventualy receded over millions of years. The same evidence that proves one side of the argument, can also prove the other side, it just depends on how you look at it.

Because there are so many possibilities and I haven't a single piece of evidence that supports any ONE of them over the other, scientific or otherwise, I highly doubt that any of them could be "THE" "ONLY" "RIGHT" "ONE". Of course I know that I could always be wrong, but the possibility of me being wrong isn't going to scare me into believing something that I honestly can't see being true. And what if there is some kind of god or supreme being, but no religion has ever written about it, or thought of its possibility? That means all religions could be wrong, including yours. Is that going to stop you from believeing? No, same goes for me.

I know some people might argue that ALL religions are right and it's just a matter of what you have faith in, but if that's true, why can't atheism be right, too? If there does happen to be a god and you only have to believe in it to go to heaven when you die or get reincarnated, or whatever you believe, why can't I just not believe and not have that happen to me? What if I don't want to stare at Earth from the sky for eternity, or get reborn again into a hostile enviornment like this? Oh well, my loss, why should you care?

For those reasons, it just seems highly unlikely that what any ONE religion says about a god(s) could be right, and if all are right then it shouldn't matter that I don't pick one. Of course I'm not 100% sure, nor do I think I'll ever be. But just because I can't know for sure, doesn't mean I'm gonna be afraid of being wrong and try to pretend to believe in something, just because of a possible wrong answer."

Thanks, I sincerely apreciate the sentiment, but don't worry about praying for me, when I'm old enough to die naturally, I'm pretty sure I'll be at peace and perfectly willing to go. Whatever happens after that is a mystery to anyone who isn't dead. I'm not afraid of "hell", but I do apreciate that you care what my fate might be according to your beliefs.

ok. first of all, i'll state that i do no longer accept as true with you opinion (nor your know-how). I do have self assurance in God, and complete-heartedly in His existance (as nicely because of the fact the existence of Christ). i grow to be raised in s Christian houshold, and by way of the later area of 2006 some gruesome circumstances made me resign my ideals. I became a militant athiest. Then in mid-2007, some thing occurred which made me substitute my perspectives. enable's in simple terms say it grow to be some thing so straightforward as going to mattress an athiest, and waking up a believer. looking returned at those months as quickly as I declined God, and those previous couple of as quickly as I embraced God, there are significant ameliorations extraordinarily in my innovations-set and how I percieve issues. "i'm able to tutor THAT GOD DOESNT EXIST because of the fact IF GOD MADE US WOULDNT HE MAKE US have self assurance IN HIM". You made this commentary, that's laughable at suited. it relatively is the main consumer-friendly argument I hear from athiests. of course, you do not have an know-how of God. God gave us unfastened will to have self assurance or no longer. think of of existence as a "attempt of religion". God is putting each and every person by way of this attempt to make certain if we are worth of get right of entry to into the dominion of Heaven. You attempting to tension your ideals upon others is a suited occasion as to why our Founding Forfathers created the 1st modification. In all honesty, i do no longer think of you relatively have self assurance what you have reported right here. I experience a splash skepticism. it is not theory out, and in case you decide on human beings to truly question their ideals, possibly get some reinforcement. i'll do the mature subject as admire your ideals (as I do everyones). inspite of the undeniable fact that, this has no longer even located a microscopic scratch on my ideals. would God bless you...

Thanks, you're one of the first 'believer's' questions I've anwered who's been respectful.

I respect people who believe in God. There have been times where I wish I beleived in an all-powerful spirit who could calm my nerves and ensure that everything will be all right.

But I don't know that I believe there's a God. There hasn't been a huge miracle since the bible was written. Of course the plane landed on the Hudson...but I credit it to the brilliant pilot, not the hand of God.

For me, there has been no solid proof of their being a God. A lot of people will say, I can jump, I can move...isn't that proof enough?

For me, it's not. In my opinion, if there were a God, he wouldn't damn people to hell because they were 'lost' and sinned...the idea of hell is something no one deserves. Eternal life in misery and pain? It's just not a God I would choose to worship.

I credit things to science. Anthropological excavations show a definitive link between humans and apes that evolves over time. I don't believe there were an Adam and an Eve. I dont like to think that somewhere along the line I'm related to my father through sex, thanks. lol, but a lot of people will say tht science is false. But I believe that centuries of evcavation and proof is far more convincing than several books written thousands of years ago, which are open to interpretation.

I don't believe that anyone should worship a God whose role it is to convince his worshippers to engage in religious war, killing, or hatred. I don't think it's right to try and convert others to one's own religion...culture after culture has been erased because of this. If we are all God's children, then shouldn't he be more forgiving?

Some religious people say 'bad people' have been caught by the devil, have gotten lost, etc. If thats so, why should they live a life here on earth 'with the devil' and then roast with him in eternal flames? Is it that persons fault? Or is it the God's fault for allowing the devil to take a life and mutiliate it?

Also, every culture, group...everyone around the world worships a different God or Gods. This to me says 'you can't all be right!' But everyone thinks they're the ones who have it right.

People die constatnyl, al through time and forever into the future, over God and religion.

I know this will offend some people (and I honestly don't mean to offend ANYONE. really), but I frankly think Jesus was born by a 'virgin' who lied about her virginity and cheated on her husband, Jesus grew to be a hippy who gained cult worshipers, and from there it grew.

And maybe he was in a coma or something. But he didn't come back from the dead. Ane I believe the bible was basically a book of fables quite like Aesops which was found to be something worthy of a lifestyle choice.

Religion to me is in many ways the ruin of the world. (And again, I'm truly sorry if anyone is angered by this.)

People die and are taught to hate through religion, to abandon their cultures and families and devote themselves to a person or idea I think is utterly false. In many religions, sex before marriage is frowned upon, and while practical long ago, before birth control, I believe sex is a healthy part of a relationship...and when I'm an adult I'd prefer to share that with someone commited to me before we swear to a life together.

That's another thing. Birth control. Why is it so bad in so many religions? I know it's not just the religious of some groups that think it's morally wrong. But I don't see the logic in this. If a woman is raped, poor, unfit to have and raise another life form for whatever reason, she should never ever be forced to have it or be pressured in any way by the church or her family, or community. It's the most personal choice you could make. And while some say that life is meant to be born, and that that's what sex is for, I disagree. Life is important, shucks, but birth control *like condoms* can also reduce the risk of contracting an STD. I don't know what worthy God wouldn't want his children to be healthy and happy.

I don't beleive that I will go to hell for not believeing in god. May be he just didnt prove himself for me...and that wouldn't be my fault. Or shouldn't be. I don't beleve that someone I can't see or hear or feel created everything. I believe that someone wrote the bible and it was found, and that science is real, physical proof of the histroy of our existence here on earth.

Throughout the ages, even today, religion is used as an excuse to hate, to discriminate, to war, to gain power, and to gain wealth. True, religion has offered centers of great learning, language-related acheivements, and has been part of what enabled rulers long ago to keep people in line.

But I don't believe that a God would let his reliegion be corrupted that way and be passive about it.

ONE MORE THING.

This is something I've noticed. And I know it doesn't ring true for all believers in God at all. However, whenev

I do not know, for sure, if your particular hypothetical god exists or not, just as I do not know for, sure, if any of the other thousands of hypothetical gods and goddesses that other people have imagined throughout history exist or not. But without a good reason or three to think that one or more of them do exist, I will remain atheist (a nonbeliever in the reality of hypothetical deities).

Your emotions and other mental states have no bearing on my lack of belief. It is not that I don't appreciate what you are feeling. I was once a believer in a hypothetical deity much like the one you imagine.

But I got over it.

--

Regards,

John Popelish

You do not KNOW -- you think so or you feel that. Well and good.

WHat I know is that there is no evidence of any god ever existing. And those who claim to follow him spend more time arguing over how when why where to worship believe follow that doing anything else. They make a lousy advertisement for him, I'll tell you.

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i think that being a good person is what should be of most importance, not believing in god.

if there is a god and i have to stand before him/her when i die, then at least i can say that i tried to be a good person in my life and, even though i might not have believed in a figure, i was able to do good things for the world, myself and others, which should matter most